For years now, oil companies have wanted access to the Arctic Ocean to drill. However, drilling in the Arctic Ocean can be extremely dangerous due to its size, location, and extreme weather conditions. This combined with the lack of infrastructure for it’s response to oil spills can destroy the Arctic Ocean along with the animals that reside within it.

As Trump gets ready to leave office, he auctioned off drilling rights to the National Wildlife Refuge, due to oil companies passing on the opportunity due to its complications. There have been petitions signed because drilling in the Arctic Ocean threatens the existence of arctic species like polar bears. If there were to be drilling in the Arctic Ocean it is predicted that polar bears would cease to exist in the year 2100.

Big oil companies passed their chance for this due to lackluster oil prices and an increasing number of banks that would not finance Arctic Energy projects. This left Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority as the head bidder in Trump’s auction. All of the land sold for a small price of $25 per acre. By the time Biden is in office, there will be four separate lawsuits challenging the administration’s environmental analysis as the Arctic Ocean is no place for Oil Drilling.